THE SMITHS – THE HEADMASTER RITUAL
This week in 1985 saw the release of THE HEADMASTER RITUAL by THE SMITHS on Dutch Megadisc 12”, (November 1985).
12” tracks: A: The Headmaster Ritual / B: Nowhere Fast / Stretch Out And Wait / Shakespeare's Sister / Meat Is Murder
The tracks on the b-side were recorded live in Oxford, 18/03/85.
“When "How Soon Is Now?" came out as a single in the UK on the eve of the release of the "Meat Is Murder" album, Megadisc, who had already released the song as an a-side, preferred a track from the new album, which they put out on 7" only,” wrote Stephane for the wonderful Smiths fansite http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/.
“They picked the catchy "The Headmaster Ritual" and backed it by the "How Soon Is Now?" b-side "Oscillate Wildly". They quickly put together the original single artwork.”
“Later in the year as "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" was about to be released in the UK, Megadisc again preferred the more radio- and club-friendly "The Headmaster Ritual". They released the song on 12", backed it with the same live b-sides as the British "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", and used brand new Morrissey-designed artwork. They pressed more of the 7"s with the same original b-side, but slipped then inside the new picture artwork instead of the original text one.
The video here is THE HEADMASTER RITUAL.
“Morrissey makes several stabs at understanding his own abnormal sociology in the other songs on Meat Is Murder, especially in 'The Headmaster Ritual', further Manchester autobiography, this time populated by sadistic educators who are both less sanguine than those recalled by the Kinks, and less fascist than those vilified by the paranoid Pink Floyd,” wrote Richard Riegel for Creem magazine (June 1985).
“Morrissey may have an axe to grind, but the song shines better out of its behind, out of his yodeling chorus and the instant-addiction hooks of Marr's guitar.”